


You're all I need

by TM_K



Category: The 100 (TV)
Genre: Aftermath of Violence, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Domestic Fluff, F/F, Fluff and Smut, Implied/Referenced Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Mentions of drugs, Romantic Fluff, doctor mechanic, mentions of domestic violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-05-21
Updated: 2019-01-24
Packaged: 2019-05-09 20:08:47
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,511
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14722784
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TM_K/pseuds/TM_K
Summary: “Is it an ex of yours? One of your bosses? I swear I'm gonna kill you, if it's Wick again. I've told you we're just friends.”“No, calm down. It's none of them, ...but it is someone you know." How was Clarke to explain to her best friend that she was setting her up with her own mother?orClarke sets Abby and Raven up on a blind date.





	1. Chapter 1

“I can't believe you got me to do this. Again.” Raven huffs and crosses her arms over her chest. She really did not want to leave the comfort of her apartment earlier. Having originally planned to spend the night with beer and pizza on the couch, she is more than grumpy, after Clarke had stormed in throwing a pair of her good jeans in her face and demanded she would get dressed and freshen up. She only told her where she was taking her when they were finally seated in the blonde's car.

“I so don't want to do this.” Raven grumbles and pouts like a petulant child.

“Not yet, but you will.” Clarke promises.

“How can you possibly know that? Your matchmaking skills suck.” This is not the first time Clarke tries to set up Raven and every single time it has been more or less a disaster.

“Hey, it's not that bad!”

“You remember that one guy with the irritable bowel syndrome? Or that chick with the kid?” She can not believe Clarke had not known when she had arranged the dates.

“You like children.” The blonde argues as if it would help her case. Truth be told, Raven is right. She really is not the best matchmaker and she knows it.

“Yeah, but I don't like them when parents bring them to a date. To a _first date_. To a _first blind date_ , Clarke. Who does that?” 

“This time will be different, Rae.” Clarke sighs and stops at a red light. She gives her friend a reassuring smile, even though she knows it would not help. The mechanic is way to busy complaining.

“That's exactly what you said the last time.”

“Raven, trust me on this one, please?” Clarke pleads and rubs her temples. “And I promise this will be the last time I'm setting you up with anyone.”

“Fineee, but I'm gonna leave the second they get on my nerves. Just so you know.” That feels like a small triumph for both of them and the blonde knows that her friend would not leave early when she seey with whom she is being set up with.

After that they spend the remaining drive in a comfortable silence. Even though both of them grow more and more nervous the closer they get to their destination, both for different reasons. Soon, Clarke pulls the car to a stop in a parking lot outside the restaurant.

“Sooo, how do I recognize them? Female or male? What am I looking for?” Raven does her best to sound as bored as possible, but can not keep an ounce of excitement and nervousness from seeping into her voice. As disastrous as the set up dates in the past have been, she can not hinder to feel at least a little hopeful that Clarke may have chosen for once a person who is not a complete waste of her time. Her blonde friend sounds quite sure with this one, after all.

“Raven, I-” Clarke starts to say, but suddenly she is at a loss of words. How is she to explain to her best friend that she is setting her up with her own mother?

“Umm” She does not know how to put it into words. Running her fingers through her hair she turns to fully face her friend. “Rae, what I'm trying to say is that, well...um...”

“Clarke, what the fuck? Just say it.” Watching her friend's face, Raven can see that she was searching for the right words. She almost seems to be uncomfortable. “Are you setting me up with the pope or what is this about?”

“Raven.” Clarke takes a deep breath before finally meeting her gaze. “Listen, I thought about this for quite some time and I came to the conclusion that this is for the best, but that doesn't mean that this is easy for me or that I'm going to like it.”

“What are you talking about, Clarke? Who am I gonna meet in that restaurant?” Raven really does not know what she should think about her friend's strange behavior. She definitely was being set up with someone Clarke was not comfortable with. “Is it an ex of yours? One of your bosses? I swear I'm gonna kill you, if it's Wick again. I've told you we're just friends.”

“No, calm down, it's none of them, ...but it is someone you know.” Checking the time on her phone, Clarke decides that it would be easier, when Raven just finds out on her own, especially because she is already running late for her date _with her mother_. “You will see when you go inside. Now, hurry up and get your ass out of my car.”

As if on command Clarke's phone vibrates just in that moment and without checking she knows it is her mom.

  
  


_**Mom [20:07]** _

_Punctuality clearly isn't their strong suit. Not really a good first impression._

  
  


“She just texted me, Raven. You're late.” She bites her tongue realizing too late that she just revealed the gender after having planned to throw her friend in at the deep end. Sometimes it is better to present her with _fait accompli_ as she liked to run when things got complicated or feelings got involved and in that case Clarke knows that both were to be true.

“Ha! So it's a girl!” The mechanic says in triumph getting out of the car.

“No, she's a _woman_ and I'll kick your ass if you don't treat her like one.” Clarke can not help but rectify as her phone vibrates again indicating that her mom is slightly nervous, too. “That includes to not keep her waiting any longer.”

  
  


_**Mom [20:08]** _

_I hope you know what you are doing, Clarke._

  
  


“Okay, okay. I'm on my way.” She hears Raven say before the door is closed behind her.

“Have fun!” The blonde shouts as a goodbye. “But not to much!” She adds as an afterthought. That is her mom after all.

  
  


_**Clarke [20:09]** _

_Sorry, it's my fault that she's late, but we're here now._

  
  


She texts back and gives her the same hint as Raven by revealing the gender. Up until now she is certain Abby had no idea that a few months prior Clarke had figured out her mom is into women, too. Well, she can not know for sure, because they had never talked about it, but the photos she had seen of her mother and some girl, both in their early twenties, speak volumes. They seem to have been way to friendly with each other to be considered platonic. And then, there are those interactions between her mom and Raven. Before, she had never put much thought to it and had brushed it off as nothing but her friend having a mild teenage crush and her mom only being friendly, but now she sees their relationship in a whole new light. She can not believe how she could have been so oblivious.

So, while this set up is still risky, she had long thought about it and is convinced to do the right thing, even if she does not like it.

  
  


_**Clarke [20:09]** _

_I hope I know what I'm doing, too, mom._

 


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This isn't their date, yet, I'm sorry. It's a flashback from when they first met, but the date is going to be the next chapter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for the kudos and comments, I appreciate it!

“ _Let me take you to the hospital. It might be broken.” The blonde told her while she carefully held her face with both hands and inspected her bleeding nose. They were standing outside the bar that they had just been kicked out of._

“ _It's not broken, trust me.” Raven smirked, because she had had her fair share of broken noses and it certainly was not that bad this time._

“ _You can't know that. You might have a concussion, too.”_

“ _I don't have a concussion, blondie. I'm fine.” She said pulling the others' hands from her face._

“ _Please, let it be checked, just to be sure. And driving you to the hospital is the least I can do after you saved me.” The blonde pleaded referring to Raven's latest act of humanity, but really the mechanic had only defended her own pride, when she had joined into the argument in the bar just as it was about to get physical. Some douche had insulted her new blonde friend after seeing her kissing another girl. So, for Raven it was not entirely about defending a stranger, but more so about standing up against homophobia._

“ _You don't owe me anything, blondie. I don't even know you.”_

“ _You're right. I'm Clarke Griffin, a girl who doesn't let her savior walk away to die in a puddle of her own blood.” The blonde said holding out her hand._

“ _Raven Reyes, a girl who is not going to die in a puddle of her own blood, because seriously it ain't that bad.” She took the offered hand and shook it lightly while she tried to choke down a hiss. She really should not have punched that guy with all she had. He certainly was not worth so much effort._

“ _That's it. I'm taking you to the hospital, now.” Clarke announced pulling her by her arm in the direction of the parking lot._

“ _No, please.” Raven tried to shrug off the blonde's hand, but was not really successful after the bar fight._

_"I can't she quietly added, which seemed to do the trick._

_With a frown on her face Clarke eventually stopped and turned around, after her ongoing struggling. The blonde looked as if she wanted to ask what her fucking problem was, but when she opened her mouth, nothing came out of it. Instead her eyes softened and she let finally go of her arm._

“ _You don't have an insurance, do you?”_

“ _No.” Raven avoided her gaze, her tough facade was crumbling._

_What she did not expect though, was for Clarke to take a hold of her arm again continuing to pull her to the car._

“ _Relax, Raven. I'm not taking you to the hospital.” She said just as Raven started to struggle again._

“ _Where are you taking me, then?” They had reached the blonde's car, some red Audi, but it was to dark to be sure._

“ _Get in. I'm taking you home with me. My mom is a doctor.”_

“ _Clark-” She wanted to protest, but was immediately interrupted by a sharp glare._ Damn _, her girlfriend was living a tough life, but where exactly was said person?_

“ _Okay, okay. I'm coming with you, but where is your girlfriend?” She asked getting into the car._

“ _Ugh. She chickened out at the first insult from that guy and left. And she isn't my girlfriend, it was just a date and after that stunt, she won't ever be anything to me.” Clarke answered as she pulled out of the parking lot and onto the street._

“ _Oh, that sucks.”_

“ _It's okay.”_

_After that it took only a couple of minutes of silence until Clarke pulled the car to a stop in the driveway of a huge two story house. It was a modern, white concrete building with wide windows and an imbedded patio in the front that was roofed by the house itself. Like all estates in the nicer neighborhoods it had a huge lawn in the front and a long driveway to the side that led to a double garage._

“ _Well, shit, blondie. What kind of doctor is your mom? Head physician?”_

“ _Something like that.” Clarke mumbled getting out of the car. Raven got the impression that there was more to the story than the blonde let on, but she was not about to ask._

_She was let into the house by her newest friend and marveled over the interior that was just as modern as the outside. There were wide and open spaces, wooden floors and white walls. The first floor was mostly one big room that included the kitchen, the living and the dining room. Coming in through the front door you could look straight out the windows into the backyard with its wide patio, pool, fireplace and lawn._

“ _Clarke, is that you?”_

 _Raven was caught totally off guard when suddenly an incredibly beautiful woman stood up from the couch. She was only wearing sweatpants and a gray, faded shirt that read_ Johns Hopkins University _, but to Raven she looked absolutely breathtaking._

“ _Yeah, it's me and I brought-”_

“ _-a bloody nose. How lovely, thank you.” Clarke was being interrupted by her mother ._

“ _Yep, I was hoping you could take a look at it.” She said disappearing through a door. The older woman had already moved across the room before Clarke could even finish and was now carefully reaching for the mechanic's face. Up this close she was even more beautiful, Raven thought._

_Out of the corner of her eye she could see the blonde coming back handing her mother a first aid kit._

“ _Uuh... name's Raven, by the way." She introduced herself as the other woman examined her nose and wiped away the blood._

“ _The nose's name? That's kinda strange, don't you think?” Raven internally cringed, because_ shit. _Did she really just say that?_

“ _What? No, I meant_ my _name is Raven.”_

“ _Oh honey, I know. I was just kidding with you. I'm Abby.”_

Oh wow. _When she called her_ honey _every time she was playing with her, she would certainly not complain. “Right.”_

“ _Clarke, would you get some ice, please.” Abby asked. “Your nose is not broken, you'll be fine.”_

“ _Yeah, I know. Thanks.” The older woman stepped away at that and Raven immediately missed the contact._

“ _You should probably check her knuckles, too. Just to be sure.” Clarke said handing her the ice for her nose._

_Raven wanted to protest at first, because she really was fine, but she changed her mind the moment the doctor reached for her hands._

“ _Let me guess, I should see the other guy?” Abby smirked checking her knuckles._

“ _You should have seen her, mom. She was my personal hero tonight, seriously. If it wasn't for her, I am not sure if I would be standing right here, right now.” Clarke let her sound like some kind of war hero._

“ _So dramatic.” Raven snorted. She was only paying half attention to the blonde's antics being way to distracted by Abby's soft fingers tending to her hands._

“ _You should be fine, Raven. Just make sure to ice it a lot.”_

_The mechanic loved how her name sounded out of the doctor's mouth and it totally made up for the loss of contact when she let go of her hands._

“ _Thanks, doc.”_

“ _Least I can do for my daughter's savior.” Then she winked at her and Raven was in heaven. “So, are you hungry?”_

“ _Oh, no. Thank you, I wouldn't want to bother you any longer.”  The older woman probably had a very busy schedule and had been enjoying a quiet night before Clarke and her had shown up._

“ _You're not a bother, honey. I'm inviting you. We've got some leftovers from dinner.” How could Raven ever deny the older woman anything when she was calling her pet names?_

“ _Okay, sure. Thank you, Mrs Griffin.”_

“ _Abby is just fine. Please, make yourself comfortable. Just join Clarke on the couch!” She raised her voice at the end to emphasize her point to Clarke who disappeared half way through their conversation to watch TV._

 _As the doctor entered the kitchen area to heat up the leftovers, Raven limped over to the sofa. She had not noticed before, but the events of the night had taken their toll on her leg. Now, that she sat down and relaxed her muscles, she could feel the pain. Normally, she would not even contemplate to take off her brace around people who did not know about her accident to avoid the questions and the looks, but they seemed like genuinely nice people and she would probably never see them again anyway, so what did it matter?_ Fuck it _, Raven thought and situated herself in a way on the couch that allowed her to stretch out her leg and take off her brace. Just as she had placed it beside the sofa, did Abby join them and handed her a plate with pasta._

“ _Thank you.” She said as the older woman sat down next to her, on the side her leg was not stretched out on._

“ _You want me to drive you home when you're finished?” The doctor asked her._

“ _No, thank you. I appreciate the offer, but that would be too much, really. I'm just gonna ask a friend to pick me up.” She declined shoveling down the pasta. It really was delicious. While enjoying her meal, she texted Bellamy after asking Abby for the address._

_It did not take long until there was a knock on the door announcing Bellamy's arrival. Since Raven had messaged him to just text her when he is there, she was more than confused when he knocked on the door and before she could stop herself, she was standing up and moving towards the entrance. Only, that she did not make it far, because the one time that she had dared to take off her brace around strangers, she totally forgot about it, of course. So, when she put weight on her left leg, she immediately buckled and mentally prepared for the fall. Except, it never came._

_Abby had realized her mistake right as Raven had been standing up and reacted fast enough to catch her. So that, the mechanic found herself now in an awkward position in the older woman's lap. Her head was comfortably nestled in the curve of Abby's neck and she could smell the faint flavor of her perfume. Raven wanted to stay there forever if it were not for Clarke cackling on the other couch._

“ _I think you can let go of me now.” Raven did not want to move from her position, but she had already stayed longer in this position than it would be deemed appropriate._

“ _Right, sorry.” Abby cleared her throat and let go of her. When Raven pulled back from the embrace, she could see a faint sheen of red on the older woman's face._ So, I'm not the only one affected _, she thought to herself and suppressed a smirk._

_Moving back on the couch, she quickly strapped on her brace before making her way over to the door to open it. She was greeted by the smiling face of Bellamy._

“ _Hey, thanks for picking me up, but you could have just texted me.”_

“ _Yep, but you didn't tell me then that you were at the Griffins'. And I haven't seen Clarke in ages.” At that he was stepping inside. “So, how exactly do you kno-”_

“ _BELL!?” He was being interrupted by a ball of blonde hair storming his way and colliding with his chest._

“ _Hey, princess.” Bellamy hugged her back._

“ _What are you doing here?” Clarke asked after pulling back and smiled broadly at him._

“ _Raven asked me to pick her up.” He smiled back at her laying his arm around the mechanic's shoulders. “I didn't know you knew each other.”_

“ _Oh, she totally saved my life tonight. I swear.”_

_Raven could only watch with a confused look on her face as her fellow student and her newest acquaintance talked to each other like old friends. “So, how exactly do you know each other?”_

“ _Well, when we were little, Bellamy used to watch me and his baby sister Octavia, who is still my best friend by the way.” Clarke proudly announced._

“ _Huh.”_ So much for never seeing them again, _Raven thought,_ but at least I am probably going to meet Abby again, too.

 


	3. Chapter 3

" _Gusto's_ " reads the big sign above the entrance to the Italian restaurant. It is situated on the first floor of a huge multistory building, its dim light shining through the big window front and illuminating the pavement.

 _At least I'm getting my pizza_ , Raven muses to herself as she pushes open the door and steps inside taking in her surroundings, the wooden floor and the high ceilings. It is perfect for a first date, not to romantic to feel awkward, but cozy enough to feel comfortable, she decides.

Trying to detect her date she takes a look around the room. Since Clarke had refused to tell her who she is meeting, she does not exactly know who she is searching for, only that they are female and someone she knows.

Just as she is about to ask a waiter for help, she detects _her_ as said waiter steps away from a table and opens the view to the person sitting behind him. It is _Abby_. She is seated at a table in this casual and yet elegant way that is so uniquely her and looks absolutely breathtaking with her light jeans and white blouse without even trying.

 _Shit_. Raven panics. How is she to concentrate on her date when Abby is practically right next to her? What is she supposed to do? This date is such a bad idea, especially now that her mind is occupied by the older woman, by Abby -her long time crush, all time favorite, woman of her dreams. _Abby._

She is about to flee from the restaurant and just wants to take another look at _her_ when suddenly said woman turns her head and gazes right back at her. That is when it hits her: _Abby is her date._ It would certainly explain Clarke's strange behavior.

From the expression on her face and the way her mouth opens just the tiniest bit, Raven can tell that the older woman realizes the exact same thing in this very moment.

“May I help you?” Raven's thought process is interrupted by the waiter.

“No one can help me know.” She answers, but does not take her eyes off the other woman. She could not, even if she wanted to. Especially, not now that there is a slight smile forming on Abby's face. Never being able to resist she automatically smiles back and starts to make her way over to the doctor's table leaving a confused waiter behind.

As she reaches the table, Abby stands up to greet her with a hug and Raven relishes every moment of it. If it lasts longer than is deemed appropriate, neither of them complains.

“Raven.” The older woman says pulling away. “Hi.”

“Hey.” Raven bites her lip and tries to hide the smile that was to big for her face by looking away.

Pulling out the chair from under the table, she is just about to sit down when Abby gently reaches for her arm. “No, take mine.”

Raven wants to protest that that really was not necessary before she realizes, how considerate Abby is being. The table is situated right next to a wall so that her bad leg would be cramped when she sat down on the chair that she had already pulled out. Abby's seat on the other hand would allow her to stretch out her leg.

“Thank you, Abby.” They switch seats and Raven has to try to hide a smirk again, because it also means that Abby - at least subconsciously - wants to spend some more time at this table with her as her date.

The uncertainty that so easily fell away when she first spotted the doctor, comes back full force when they are both seated and Raven finally grasps the situation she is in. _Clarke set her up with Abby and now she is on an actual date with her. Holy shit!_ This date is in her Top 3 of things she always wanted, but now, that her dream finally comes true, she does not know what to do or what to say. Looking over to the other side of the table the other woman seems to not fare much better.

Abby opens and closes her mouth several times before she eventually says, “Clarke, huh?”

“Yeah, Clarke.” Raven awkwardly chuckles. One of her main reasons why she never had tried to pursue anything with the older woman, is her respect for Clarke. That argument is obviously no longer an issue now, that the blonde has given them her consent in the most unconventional way Raven can think of. Then, there were always still the other reasons like the age difference, or that she does not know if Abby even was into women, let alone her. But if Raven is honest to herself, she would admit that the main hindrance is the fact that Raven would just never have the balls to ask the older woman out.

So, the only reason that is still standing, is whether Abby actually wants this in the first place, if she wants her. _Shit,_ Raven thinks. _What if Clarke made a mistake? What if Abby doesn't want to be here and was just being nice by hugging and smiling at her, but is actually about to make a cheap excuse and leave?_

“Abby, listen. I know why I am here with you on this date, but I honestly have no idea why you're still here. And if this is a mistake, then just let me tell you that it's okay. You can leave and I'll kick Clarke's ass in the morning. I just want-” Raven is rambling and she knows it, so she is glad when she is being interrupted by the waiter taking their order. It is a quick affair since she opts for beer and the pizza she has been looking forward to all night and Abby decides on some pasta and red wine.

“Raven, I get what you are saying. So, trust me when I tell you that I am here, because I like you.” The older woman says as the waiter leaves. She gently lays her hand on the Raven's arm and rubs her thumb over her skin, where the sleeve of her button up shirt is rolled up.

“You like me, as in like me? Or, as in _like_ me?” Abby's thumb is doing things to Raven and she has a hard time focusing on the conversation.

“I _like_ you as in more than just friends, Raven. I want this.”

“What about-...well, everything? There are so many reasons against this.” She has to make sure, mostly because she can not believe that this is really happening right now.

“I know, but I can't think of a single one that's good enough. You're 24 years old and at that 19 years younger than me. I know that, Raven. But it's been three years since Clarke brought me that bloody nose of yours, so I've had enough time to come up with reasons and to dismiss them again. And I've long ago come to the conclusion that if you don't care, then I don't care either.”

“I don't care.”

“Good, because this is not about what society would deem appropriate or what people would think.” At that Abby lets her hand wander down Raven's arm and entwines their fingers. “This is about us, honey.”

 _Holy fucking shit!_ Abby is not only holding her hand, but she also called her _honey_ and judging from the smirk on her face she knows exactly what she is doing to her younger companion.

Raven wants to answer the other woman, she wants to encourage her and show her that she totally agrees with her, but she can not think clearly with the doctor's hand in hers, so she can just smile when she looks back up at Abby.

Soon after, the waiter brings their food and Raven has to moan at her first bite of pizza.

“So good, huh?” Abby chuckles.

The date goes smoothly and they decide to skip dessert in favor of taking a stroll through the nearby park.

“To be honest, I wasn't exactly thrilled when Clarke had told me last week that she would be setting me up on a blind date.” Abby said as they walked side by side.

“What a little shit! She only told me about the blind date tonight on our way over to the restaurant.”

“She probably wanted to make sure that you wouldn't come up with some excuse. And honestly, I gotta thank her for that.” Abby chuckles. “But I am no better. I had originally planned to leave at the first opportunity I get, but that plan went out the window, the moment I've seen you and realized that you were my date.”

“Yep, that's exactly what I said, too. Clarke is the worst matchmaker ever.” They both can not contain their laughter at that. “Well, at least until now.”

“Yeah, I think this is exactly the push we both needed.”

“True.” Raven grins to herself, because she hates to admit it, but when she is perfectly honest to herself, she would have never in a million years had the balls to ask the older Griffin out herself. She does not even dare to initiate some simple hand holding as they are walking side by side, because what if Abby does not want to?

When the older woman eventually reaches out to intertwine their fingers once more and gently smiles at her, she mentally kicks herself, because _stupid_. Why does Raven always have to be so obvious? She feels like a teenage girl again, all giddy and flustered.

“Stop being so nervous around me.” Abby tells her as they stop atop a bridge that goes across a small river in the middle of the park. Turning around to face the younger woman, she casually leans against the railing and pulls Raven closer by their joined hands.

“I can't help it.”

“Well, then don't chicken out, because I'm going to kiss you now.”

Even if she wanted to, she would not have had enough time to chicken out as Abby pulls her further in by the lapels of her button up and gently presses her lips to the mechanic's. Raven always thought she has had her fair share of good kisses, but she was not prepared for this. It is soft and ravenous at the same time, gentle and demanding.

Eventually, Abby pulls away and opens her mouth as if she wanted to say something, but instead she just leans back in before Raven even has time to miss the contact. Letting her hands wander over the mechanic's shoulders and neck up to the back of her head the older woman slightly turns to stand with her back flat to the railing. Raven uses the opportunity to hold onto the handrail and further presses her against it. Again, it is Abby who takes initiative and deepens the kiss by tilting her head and sliding her tongue against the younger woman's lips. She is immediately granted access as Raven opens her mouth and the kiss slowly picks up speed.

At one point there comes a shaky sound from the older woman and Raven is not sure whether it was a moan or a heavy breath, but it incredibly turns her on and she can not help but to clench her legs together.

“Abby.” She whispers against her lips, out of breath, and leans her forehead against the doctor's.

“Hmm?” Abby slides her nose against the younger woman's.

Raven has a hard time to not simply lean back in again, but she does not want to go to far on their first date. “Maybe we should stop. You know, first date etiquette and all.”

“I don't care about etiquette and I think we're much further than on first date level.” Abby runs her nose along the younger woman's neck up to her ear and gently latches on with her teeth. “I've waited for three years. That's gotta be worth something.”

“Fuck.” Raven can not help but moan. The older woman just found her soft spot.

“Or, do you want to stop?” Abby completely pulls away searching her eyes. The mechanic notices how the older woman's lips are red and slightly swollen and how her eyes are glazed over by desire despite mirroring the concern in her voice. Raven has never seen anyone more beautiful than Abby in that moment. And with that her last resistance is broken.

“God, no.” She says leaning back in.

 

 


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm incredibly sorry for the long wait. I have no excuses.   
> Just know that I haven't forgotten about this and that I'm willing to continue.

_Red drops hit the wooden floorboards where Raven stood bend over, leaning against the door frame. Her bruised knuckles repeatedly rapped against the front door of the Griffin's house, leaving bloody stains on the white wood._

_“Shit.” Raven took her t-shirt by the hem and wiped the blood away. It was already ruined anyway. Instead, she used her foot to lightly tap against the door hoping that someone would hear her and let her in, even though she knew it was pointless._

_It was the middle of the night and the house lay dark in the neighborhood, only illuminated by the street lights. But she had still hoped though, against her better judgment, that anyone would be home. Abby was probably working the night shift and Clarke shared an apartment with Octavia and had no reason to be at her mom’s place on a Wednesday night. She could have gone to their place, but she knew they would drag her to Abby to get her wounds checked anyway. So, she figured why bother._

_Sighing she limped back to the stairs leading up the front porch and carefully sat down, inhaling sharply at the stinging pain from her thorax. Raven was not an expert, but she was certain she had at least a broken rib or two. Then, there was her cut lip and her bleeding nose that she hoped was not broken, her bruised knuckles and the limp that was even worse than usual._

_Despite – or perhaps precisely because of - her current state of discomfort she could not help but smile. This felt like a déjà vu. The last time she had shown up at Abby’s door step with a bleeding nose and bruised knuckles was the night they had first met. That had been 7 months ago and after Clarke and her had discovered they had common friends, their two friend groups had just merged into one and the Griffin women had been a constant in her life ever since._

_“_ _Fuck.” She should have called, but she had left her phone at her mother's place, along with all her personal belongings. Raven had not even had the chance to grab her red bomber jacket before leaving or more precisely fleeing the house. Fortunately, it was a mild night and she was not too cold, yet._

_She looked up at the sky which was perfectly clear from any clouds. Stargazing had always managed to calm her down, no matter what. It reminded her of her dad, but in a good way. It was the only way she did not become sad when she thought about his death._

_The flashing of the headlights of Abby's SUV pulling into the drive way interrupted her thoughts. Raven did not have to wait long to hear the opening and closing of a door and fast approaching steps._

_“Raven? Is that you?” Abby asked halfway._

_“Yeah.” It was only a matter of seconds now until the older woman would see the condition that she was in. She dreaded the moment, because then Abby would immediately know what had happened._

_“Shit, Raven. What happened?” She asked, even though Raven could see the realization in her eyes._

_“Come on in.” Holding her purse in her left hand she offered the younger woman her other hand, minding her beaten up state._

_A_ _bby carefully sat her down on the couch and Raven tried to choke down a groan of pain, but she failed miserably. Holding her ribcage, she slowly leaned back against the cushions and tried to control her irregular breathing._

_“Easy, there.” Abby said as she helped Raven to get more comfortable. Crouching down in front of her, the older woman searched her face. She knew. She always knew. For a moment it looked like she wanted to say something, but then she stood back up and left the room. She came back carrying a bowl with water and a wet cloth, and the well-known first-aid kit._

_Without a word, Abby sat down on the coffee table in front of Raven and silently got to work. Only after she had finished cleaning her hands and face from the blood and had patched her up, did she ask._

_“Will you tell me what happened?” “_

_You know what happened.” She whispered avoiding her gaze._

_“Yes.” It was only one simple word, but it got Raven to talk, and Abby knew that._

_“I don't even know what I did to piss him off this time. You know that he doesn't need a reason to beat me up. Ssshit...” She hissed as Abby probed with her fingers at her ribs. “And I fought back, while my mother just watched, as usual. You know, by now I’m pretty sure that, if I asked her, she wouldn’t even deny anymore that she’s only with him for the alcohol he buys for her.” She bitterly spat the last sentence._

_The older woman did not comment on what Raven had just told her. She knew it would not make a difference anyway. “You'll have to take your shirt off. I need to take a closer look at your ribs.” She said instead._

_Raven opened her mouth to give a cocky remark, something about Abby only wanting to get her out of her clothes, but she could not. She wanted to pretend that the reason for it was its impropriety in this situation or even that she was finally growing up, but she knew that the only thing that hindered her, was the sad look on Abby's face. So, she kept her mouth shut and did her best to pull her blood-soaked shirt over her head, leaving her only in her sports bra._

_Abby probed her ribs carefully to hurt the younger girl as little as possible, but only half succeeded. “I'm sorry. Good news is it's only partially fractured. Does it hurt when you're breathing?”_

_“_ _Just a little.”_

_“Okay. I'll get you some ice and pain meds.” She said standing up to leave the room._

_Raven wanted to protest, probably just for the sake of protesting, but before she could say a word, she could hear Abby from the bathroom hollering. “And no, this is not open for discussion!”_

_She had to chuckle at that, but regretted it right away, when a stinging pain shot through her chest._

_“Here.” The older woman handed her an ice pack and two pills along with a glass of water. “I'm gonna get you a fresh shirt.”_

_Swallowing the pills with some water, she sat the glass down on the coffee table and tried to get comfortable again. She was not sure where to put the ice first: Her nose, her ribs or her hands. As if that was not bad enough already, her leg still hurt badly too, but that was to be expected. Hopefully, it would be better in the morning. Turning sideways, she took off her brace and stretched it out in front of her on the couch, just as Abby came back and gave her a t-shirt._

_“Thank you.” When Raven noticed that it was the very same faded gray shirt that read Johns Hopkins University that Abby had worn when they first met, she could not help but to wonder if that was just a coincidence or if the doctor had thought about that night too as she had picked out this shirt for her. As she pulled it over her head, Raven could smell the older woman's perfume on the cotton and instinctively took another sniff, before she could stop herself. She hoped that Abby did not notice, but she had no such luck. She could see the other woman smirking just as she turned to leave the room. In this moment Raven was beyond glad that her natural tan hid her blush._

_“Chinese, Mexican or Pizza?” She could hear Abby call from the kitchen._

_“You know what? Forget that I asked. Stupid question.” The doctor said before Raven could answer and walked back in with her phone in her hand. “Hawaiian pizza with extra cheese, am I right?”_

_“Yeah, but you really don’t have to, Abby.” She argued even though she was not even sure why. “I know, but I’m starving and it would be rude to let you watch me eating.” Abby winked at her as she lifted Raven’s leg and placed it in her lap instead as she sat down next to her on the couch._

 

* * *

 

_As the last pieces of pizza sat forgotten on the coffee table and they silently watched some cooking show on Netflix, Raven could not help but notice that Abby did not seem to pay attention. The way the doctor’s forehead she was creasing her forehead and chewing on the inside of her cheek meant that she was intensively thinking about something._

_“What’s on your mind, doc?”_

_“_ _I have a proposition to make and you’re not gonna like it.” Abby said as she paused the tv show._

_“I’m scared now.” Raven joked but became concerned when the older woman did not react to her amused tone. “Wait, should I actually be scared?”_

_“Raven…” Abby hesitated and turned to fully face her before she continued talking, “I don’t want you to say no right away, okay? Promise me to actually think about it.”_

_“Umm, okay?” Her serious tone caused Raven to sit up, too._

_Abby waited until Raven sat still again and only continued when she had her full attention back. “Clarke told me that you’re only still living with your mom and her boyfriend, because you don’t make enough money in the garage to afford both your study costs and your own place.”_

_The younger woman avoided her gaze. Raven was not sure if the feeling she experienced in that moment was embarrassment, because Abby knew about her predicament, or anger, because Clarke had told her in the first place. She just knew that she did not like whatever she was feeling._

_However, before she could snap at the doctor, Abby continued, “So, my proposition is that you move in here.”_

_“Wait, what?” Came as a reflex as Raven’s emotions were instantly replaced with disbelief at the absurdity of this idea._

_“Listen, I can’t keep watching you getting abused by this asshole.” Abby explained. “I know you don’t like to accept help from any one and I get that. You’ve been caring for yourself for the better part of your life and that’s remarkable, but sometimes it’s okay to depend on others. So, please, move in with me and let me help you.”_

_“Abby…” The younger woman started but was cut off by the doctor._

_“Don’t say anything. Just think about it, okay? Something has to change and you know it, so let me help you. I have more space than I know what to do with and you need a place to stay that is not dangerous to life. It’s simple math. So, please, just think about it.” With that Abby turned back to the TV and pressed play._

_N_ _ow, it was Raven’s turn to not pay attention to the tv show. As much as she wanted to decline the offer right away, because Abby was right about her not liking to accept help from anyone, she had to acknowledge that the older woman had a point. She could not go on like this. One day, it would not only be a cracked rib or a bloody nose anymore and she really did not want to wait for that day. Abby was showing her the way out that she needed and the only thing that hindered her, was her own damn pride. Either way she had to depend on someone and she did not have to think long about it to know that she would be better off if that person was Abby who seemed to genuinely care about her, rather than her mom who preferred alcohol over her own daughter’s safety. The other woman was right: It was simple math._

_“Okay.” Raven said without taking her eyes off the TV._

_“Okay?” The doctor asked and Raven could hear the smile in her voice._

_“Yeah, okay. I gotta admit that you’re right and this is my best option, so yeah, I’m going to move in.” She couldn’t help but smile back at seeing the hopeful look on Abby’s face. “But I don’t want to live here for free. As you know, I can’t offer you to pay rent, but instead I could offer you my services.”_

_Only when Raven saw the doctor’s raised eyebrow and her amused look, did she notice how what she said could be misinterpreted. “Umm, I mean around the house… Services around the house like gardening or fixing stuff or whatever. I didn’t mean… you know.”_

_“Uh-huh.” Abby tried to suppress a grin._

_“Or I could do some cleaning.” Raven continued._

_“Right.”_

_“Or cooking.”_

_“Yeah.”_

_“Laundry.”_

_“Raven.”_

_“Okay, I’ll shut up.”_


End file.
